It’s time for our monthly contest and I was all set to ask a different question, but then this You Tube video came through in an email from my mom and it changed my direction. (And then I promptly got it in 3 other emails, saw it on a couple of blogs, and heard Anderson Cooper talking about it on CNN last night.) What a great video! It’s all about a gutsy lady who had a dream and made something happen with it. So this month’s contest is to leave a comment and tell me what your dream is. Now I know fully well that some of you will not be brave enough to write it down for everyone to see, with your name attached! But I hope that you do. It seems like step one in any dream is to be bold and put it in writing, right? Of course not many people take the time to read the blog comments on our monthly contest (except for me!), so you don’t have to worry that someone you know might see and recognize you. On the other hand, some people DO take the time to read them and with a question like this, you could inspire a whole lot of people by putting your dream out there. I look forward to seeing what you all dream about doing or having or being, somewhere in the future. Will you share? (Hmmm – and another thought – if any of you read a comment and your first thought is, “Well I could help her/him with THAT dream. ” – email me. Maybe we can put some dreamers and enablers together to make things happen.) One of my dreams is to live in Colorado one day – thus today’s photo. We’ll draw for winners next week on Wednesday, so you have a week to leave your comment. I have some skeins of Wollmeise to give away.
Speaking of Wollmeise, we did a mini update with some of it yesterday, but since the great majority of our boxes are being held up by customs in Chicago, we won’t have more for who knows how long. In the meantime, we have a few things to take care of around here (Spring Fling, May Sock Club, “Don’t Be Blue Kits”) so even if it does arrive soon-ish, it will still be awhile before it’s going to go up. (Translation: no need to stalk and watch for it.) Maybe some of the customs agents in Chicago have had a dream to capture a case of Wollmeise for their very own….
Sheri whohadadreamtohaveafamilybusiness
ThankYOUforhelpingtomakethatdreamcometrueforourfamily!
Can I have two dreams? OK, good. Professional first. I am a homecare Physical Therapist and work with so many people after the fact–after the fall and fracture, after they have had a progressive disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s for ages and start to fall. You get the picture. My dream would be to have my own little business where I would help people make their homes safe before they fall and get hurt. Where I could instruct people in simple home programs to keep them strong, flexible and balanced before they fall or can’t follow instructions, or their bodies are so rigid they can’t come back. Preventative Physical Therapy is one of my dreams.
My dream for my personal life would be to take a year, maybe two, off and travel the world with my husband and son. Not only to experience the art, the cultures, the architecture and world wonders, but also to teach our son how priveleged he is to live in this country. Even during economic downturn, we still have the opportunity to live in comfort beyond the wildest hopes of so many people in this world. But so many who live so simply are happy and I think it is valuable to learn to live with less and be happier for it. Of course, sock yarn doesn’t count! π
My dream is to someday have a child. All I ever wanted was to be a mom… and I thought I would be married by now with about 4 kids. Instead I am single and a doggy mommy (and my dog is the best thing is the world!!) Still, I would love to have a mini-me someday. I just wondering if I am getting too old at this point…
I have a dream… sorry, that’s already been used.
But, I do have a dream. And it starts after I finish my bachelor’s in nursing.
I want to start a fiber processing business and restart my Shetland sheep farm.I had to sell off most of my Shetlands because of the fool ( NOT the term I used ) neighbor told the sheriff that if they got out and ate his grass ( OH PLEASE!!! ) then he would shot them.So, I sold off all but 8 that I absolutely couldn’t part with and it was very hard to do.
What I want to do if to start a fiber processing business ( there’s not one very close to me ) and make all kinds of beautiful rovings and yarns for others to knit with. I will start to look for a new farm after I graduate next fall and start to buy more Shetlands and hopefully, in a year or 2, be able to purchase the mill equipment I need for the fiber business.
I don’t think there would be a better way to start the day than to go to the barn and lets the lambs and ewes out and then walk over to the ” office ” and start processing wool. Even if I only get to process my own wool, I will be a happy camper, but I would be even happier to take some raw wool and turn it into some soft beautiful roving or yarn for someone to make into a special item fr their loved one..
I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, but when I was 22 I move to the Washington DC area, and I personally think it is miserable out here; it is noisy, chaotic, violent, and polluted. My dream is to go back to Kansas, or western Missouri and live a little outside the city, but close enough that it is still a reasonable to drive the nearest Target ο I want a very large garden so I can feed myself and my family (but Iβm not married nor do I have kids yet so I guess that is part of the dream as well) and friends. I want to have a few chickens, a lot of dogs, maybe a sheep or two, and just live a quiet and simple life.
I would love to have solar panels, or a wind turbine, and live as green as possible. I want to raise amazing children, who are polite, friendly, intelligent, caring, talented, and independent. I want to work from home, using my creativity, rather than working in a cube barely using my brain, a big barn with a ton of natural light for a photography studio, where I can teach different crafts, and art. I want to have my parents live nearby so my children can have the kind of grandparents that my grandparents never were. I want to be a great mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. I want everyone I know to be happy and healthy.
I have a couple of dreams that I would like to share.
First, and most importantly,is that my family be healthy and happy, and get to achieve all of their personal goals. Without them, I would have nothing.
Secondly, on a more personal note, I have a dream of owning and operating my own yarn store someday. Ever since I discovered the joys of knitting and what it has added to my life, I have wanted to share it with others. Seems like a pretty simple dream, but it means a lot to me.
Thanks for running this contest Sheri! It’s made me take some time and think about what really means something to me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle and forget to just sit and think about what is truly important in life : D
Wow…What an awesome contest to start! Sheri, You can move to Colorado one day, but you must take the TLE with you. There would be alot of yarn deprived knitters/crocheters walking around aimlessly with no direction without TLE…hehehe!
Dreams? hmmmm… I would love to be financially free! Wow! That would be so awesome! I would like to dabble in dyeing, but really don’t have any kind of setup to even think about this right now. Never tried it, but it has definitely peaked my interest. Since we can dream big here…my biggest dream would be to have my 10 yr old daughter back. She passed away 3 years ago. I know I will see her again one day, but it will be me going to her instead of her coming back to me.
Thanks so much Sheri for starting this contest. I almost didn’t post, but then decided to anyway.
My dream is that the war (s) would end , so my husband would not ever have to go there again. Nor our children.
To knit while watching the Blackhawks win the 2009 Stanley Cup. To knit while watching the Cubs win the 2009 World Series. To retire so that I can teach more knitting classes and learn to spin. To score some Wollmeise so I can see what all of the excitement is about. Hmm…being a winner here could make that one come true!
I could never afford to go on this trip, so it is truly a dream. I’ve dreamed for years to visit and linger in Ireland for a while , before I grow too old, and before I die. Some of my ancestors are from there and I feel them tugging inside my soul, like visiting a home I left behind in the past. To see the green landscape and the cottages, the peoples and listen to their voices w/ their lovely accents. I feel like I would be returning home. My grandmother use to tell me when I was a child, that I had big dreams.
My dream is to have time to knit more, to learn to spin, to plant and tend to a garden. To live a peaceful, self-sustaining existence.
As I thought about what to write here, I began to realize how my dreams have changed over the years, especially over these last few as I have two wonderful additions to my family, my daughter and son. While I have many dreams, the most important is for me to see my children succeed in life.
When I was 42 years old and long after I thought the opportunity had passed me by I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I had been married 17 years and had given up on thought it just wasn’t to be for us and accepted our fate without sadness or grief. We had a loving marriage that many of our friends envied and didn’t feel our life was empty. My OB told me I had little chance of carrying him to term because of my health problems and that I had over a 33% chance he would be born with a genetic defect because of my age.
My son was born without complications, he is now a healthy, handsome and happy 12 year old. I thought something I had not allowed to be a dream had come true.
When I was 52 I had a heart attack, no family history, nothing to indicate this was in the cards for me.
Now I dream that I can live to see my son grow to be a healthy and happy adult. I dream that I can see him experience the joy that he has given me. I hope that whatever powers that be in this world don’t think this is too much to hope for and let me live my dream.
My dream is to be more healthy and fit. It’s a constant battle for me but I’m trying every day. Exercise and eating right, more yoga and meditation and managing stress better.
My dream is to have an organic hobby farm. I love to garden and I’d like to raise my own chickens for eggs and goats and cows for milk. Of course there’d be a few sheep and alpacas for yarn too. I’m moving towards this dream by planting my own highly ambitious vegetable gardens this summer but I don’t think I’m ready (or my urban neighbourhood for that matter) for livestock just yet. The squirrels and birds will have to do for now.
My dream…is to be able to quit work and to write full-time, to tend a garden, to knit, to lead a quieter life, to be able to take an afternoon off to sit with a cat in my lap. Since I’m dreaming here, I would be able to make a living doing this. π
I saw this video and I was completely choked up – kudos to Susan. She is one incredible woman, wouldn’t you just love to share a cup of tea with her? π
I became unemployed back in December but fortunately I am receiving severance.
This time ‘off’ is helping to fulfill an important yet unexpected dream and that is the opportunity to spend the time I wouldn’t otherwise be able to if I were working, with my husband who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last fall. (See my blog about it: http://cancerhat.wordpress.com). That said, I’m living a good portion of my dream at this time but the real dream will be that my husband lives longer than anyone expects.
I am taking advantage of this turn in life to earn a diploma at a community college as a medical office assistant. I would never have thought I’d change careers at age 46 from finance to the medical field, but as they say, when one door closes, another opens. My second dream, then, is to find a rewarding and fulfilling job after graduation.
I truly believe that the diagnosis of my husband’s cancer and the loss of my job after 25 years has happened for a reason, and we both are cognizant of the fact that we need to take advantage of this time together, enjoy it as much as possible and not sweat the small stuff.
Thanks for being my favorite yarn store ever!
My dream is to be able to retire one day. My husband and I run a small business, and thus, we don’t have a retirement benefit plan, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine being able to retire. I dream of being able to pay off our mortgage & debt, and be able to finally stay at home and have more time to indulge in my passions (visiting my kids who live across the country, knitting, quilting, gardening). I am turning 50 this year, and I have a 10 year plan to try to make this dream happen!
My dream is to live in the country and have a really big garden, goats and maybe a cow for milk and cheese, sheep for wool and to knit, sew, paint and play the violin, read and write. So I also wish I didn’t need sleep.
It was really fun to see other people dreaming of living in the country and gardening seriously!
I have a dream…one that I have cherished for the last three years. My dream is to give life. My dream is to be a mother.
It started out so innocently. I began midwifery studies in the fall of 2005. Once there, I fell deeply in love with birth, bellies, and babies. I soaked in everything I was taught, and dreamed of the day I’d be a midwife, nurturing and loving these women and their families as they brought forth miracles.
As time passed, I was surprised – pleasantly so – to find a budding wish for a child of my own. Maybe it was a classmate’s announcement that she was due in early October 2006. Or perhaps it was the first births I attended, on a night shift where three sweet little souls made their way into the world. Whatever it was, I knew in my heart that I wanted this. But I was only 19 at the time, and while my partner and I were in a committed 3-year relationship, I knew we weren’t ready yet.
More time passed. Many changes have happened since that first realization. My partner and I were married this past August. Not long before that, I left the program I so dearly loved, and set my sights on nursing instead (long story short – better hours, and less of me going crazy). We have both grown and changed so much. But despite that, my wish for a child of our own has not dissipated. In fact, it gets stronger every day. We both agree that we want children – someday – but right now we have to contend with a small apartment, crazy part-time work hours, and my impending return to college this fall. Once all our ducks are in a line, so to speak, we’ve agreed to move forward.
Until the day my dream is realized, I’ve been doing a lot less obsessing and a lot more acting on it. I’m doing my very best to make my body healthy, I’m studying hard, and I’m knitting like a fiend. So far I’ve made a couple of wee hats, some socks and even a little sweater. I keep them all in a basket I bought for the purpose of keeping these baby items, until the day I finally get to use them.
I dream of building an earth-friendly yert with room for spinning, weaving, quilting and watercolor supplies, 2 spare rooms for the grown children and families to visit with us, better health for my husband, the will to exercise at least 30 mins every day (I would love it to be automatic, like being unable to go to bed without cleaning and flossing my teeth), having the courage to go solo in foreign countries whose languages I don’t speak to walk the St. James of Compostela pilgrim trail in France & Spain.
My dream is to believe in myself enough to start conversations with complete strangers. Right now the self-confidence is lacking, I’m sad to say, but I’m working on it.
My dream is simple – to not hurt anymore.
When we are young, we think we’re strong. We think our bodies will always feel like they do now. Unfortunately, that just is not true.
After years of being a stressed out work-a-holic, not eating the rights foods and drinking a bit too much on the weekends – my body has begun to show the signs of the excesses.
Arthritis? Check, lumbar spine and both knees.
Degenerative disc disease? Check.
Osteoporosis? Check.
Broken bones? Check – four and counting (see osteoporosis)
Torn rotator cuff? Check – see broken bones.
Overweight? Check.
High Blood Pressure? Check
What saves my sanity? My family and my knitting.
I am very, very grateful for every pain free moment I have. I am thankful for the wonderful yarns that glide through my fingers as I knit. And I an thankful that both my daughter and daughter-in-law are taking up the art of knitting.
Wishing you all good health! Take care of your bodies so they take care of you…
I would love to be able to take vacation with my family. Anywhere really. Right here in my own state even. There never seems to be enough time, schedules never align, or there’s not enough money. It’s been years since we’ve been able to pack up and go away for more than a night or two. It would be so nice to leave the phones behind and truly get away for a bit to enjoy each other without all the chaos of everyday life at home.
I’ve always been a perfectionist, afraid to start anything I’m not sure I’ll be able to succeed at. And the one thing I’ve wanted to be ever since I was a little girl is a writer. I used to have so much fine letting my imagination wander and would write with no self-consciousness stilling my pencil (or crayon – seriously, I used to write with anything I could get my hands on) or causing me to doubt the importance of what I had to say. The urge to write rises up inside me everyday, making me eye the stack of notebooks and piles of pens I’ve purchased over the years just for that purpose. But I don’t, I can’t. The fear of failing at my dream is worse than the pain of not doing it. So, my dream is to have the confidence to know that I won’t fail and to tap into that confidence and WRITE.
My dream is to continue to work hard with my horse until we reach th pint of complete trust and comfort!
I’ve been working on my dream and some of it is happening already. I’ve always wanted to reach a stage in my life where I had balance among my personal and professional life: doing work that I love and having the time to be creative. Since Fall, 2008, I’ve achieved some of that. I switched careers at the tender age of 55. After 30-plus years of fund raising, I am teaching in a community college and love it. I’ve discovered that I am made for the classroom. I’ve now been offered the chance to help others do the same thing – I will coordinate the recruitment and training of adjunct faculty for the entire college. I’ve also been working on the personal side of things. I purchased a used floor loom and have taught myself to weave (with the help of a friend). I also purchased a used spinning wheel and am learning how to spin. I’ve been knitting since childhood, but I now make time to knit with a group and on my own. I spend a portion of each evening knitting and it’s bliss! I am also teaching one of my community college students to knit (she is learning disabled and the skill does not come easily to her). So, my dream isn’t out of reach – it’s a dream-in-progress…
SUE
I am Ph.D candidate and course instructor in Italian. I am a mother of a 3 year old girl and I live in Toronto. I am going to be 39 years old this year. My dream used to be to get a doctorate in Italian literature and to teach at university; however, in order to realize this dream I would most likely have to move to another city or even country as professor positions in Italian are not plentiful. As I watch my daughter grow, my dreams have changed and now I wonder whether I wouldn’t prefer to have another child before I am too old to conceive, finish my degree, get whatever job I can in my own city, and enjoy my beautiful house and Ontario native plants garden that I have been working on for the last 7 years.
I want to be a mother.
I want to write a book and have it published.
I want not to be lonely.
And I want BFF Sarah to finish her Ph.D. Although of course I am proud of her even if she never finishes. π
I have a lot of dreams…for the Angels to win the World Series again, to win the lottery, to find and marry a man that I love with all my heart. Since I can’t really do anything about those, I will say that my dream, something that could theoretically do, is that I could jump in feet first and move somewhere new. For me, it is the fact that I’ve never been away from my family (I never even went away for college). My parents and I are really close and I just don’t know if I could handle completely leaving my comfort zone, of family and friends, and head out into the world…as my dream location is Australia…pretty far away from California (my home).
I started my blog 2 years ago. I write about my life. I started writing about my current life but I’ve alwasy wanted to write down my whole life. I’ve had a strange and crazy life! I was nervous about writing about it as I wasn’t sure people would want to read it and also, my mom reads it from time to time and our relationship has had some really hard points. Anyway, I’ve been doing that (writing my life) and have had a decent response (I have about 200 regular weekly readers).
I would love to publish my story. I’d call it “Life as I Remember It” because, of course, it’s all from my point of view and how things affected me and the course my life took.
Also, I’d love to have a small 5 acres with some livestock and a pool. So if I get published, I hope to make enough dough to have this small ranch for my family and me! hah!
I saw Susan Boyle for the first time last night, and she had me in tears. What a beautiful woman!
My dream is to finally treat my body with the love and respect it deserves. I have been struggling with excessive weight and want to take care of myself.
My short term dream is to lose another 10 pounds. My long term dream is to one day win Best In Show at the national rabbit show. I’d settle for publishing a book though. π
My dream is to go with my husband to Spain for a vacation. I went several years ago with a friend because he said he had no interest in going to Spain. Recently, he admitted he should have gone with me. Someday we’ll go on that trip.
Someday i’d love to have a large patch of land to have my own small garden and orchard, and to have a small farm with some goats and some sheep. I’d start up my own business that would sell canned, pickled fruits and veggies, and jams and jellies (gourmet food type stuff). I’d use the fleeces from the sheep and the goats and spin it into yarn or make roving, dye it and also sell it too. If the sheep and goats produced milk I’d make small batches of artisan cheeses! So it would be like a small business with tasty treats, and fiber!
I’d try to raise the goats and the sheep to live as happy of a live as possible, and would keep the business really really small. I’d try to grow my fruits and veggies the best way possible to get the tastiest product possible! It would be probably a very small farm so I wouldn’t make very much product, but that wouldn’t be the purpose anyway.
Wollmeise, Wollmeise, I’ ve yet to hold one. My dream is to be able to show a pair of socks knitted in Wollmeise yarn; along with authoring my own sock pattern book.
So many dreams . . . the two I think about most often these days are to live in Montana near my family. I miss them dearly and would like to be closer to my brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews and that my daughter will realize her dream of becoming a doctor.
WOW!!!! That woman’s voice is beautiful and what a tear jerker that video is…..great choice.
I have several dreams but one stands out above the rest for me and that is to try each day, every day to become a better person, more patient (yes, I could use serious help in that area), more understanding, more tolerant of annoyances, differences, etc., and especially more loving and kind.
Some days I remember that I’m trying to do this and other days, I just go on living like always with nary a thought to improvement and that’s when I know that the old sayings are so true: “my reach exceeds my grasp” and it’s so frustrating. I won’t give up though and hope that someday I can say I’ve made real and serious progress because it is after all, a journey that I’m speaking of, and that takes time.
It’s been very inspiring to read everyone’s dreams here and thanks for the opportunity to actually put mine in writing.
My dream…I have so many that it is hard to pick just one.
But I’d have to say my ultimate dream would be to instill the idea of change in my daughter. I want her to see from my examples and in her lifetime that with a little effort and a positive attitude that you can change the world. That she can change the world. Perhaps not that “whole world”, but her world. However large or small that is. Even if it is just donating food to a local food bank or spending a weekend with Habitat for Humanity or knitting newborn hats for the local hospital. Anything to show her that in all of the “bad” in this world, that there are good people doing for others without expecting anything in return. That is a huge life lesson that my parents instilled with me at a very young age. With my daughter’s emerging generation I want her to see that my generation wasn’t a generation of plugged in, desensitized, over-sexed and heartless people. My goal is to help guide my daughter down a path of positive influence. Hopefully this dream will be realized. And perhaps….she will also be a knitter/fiber enthusiast! lol
I have lots of dreams, but I suppose right now my dream would be to land a great job where I could make enough money to pay my student loans and also save for a house. I’m a lawyer, and since graduating from law school 5 years ago I have never had a “permanent” job, just a string of long-term temporary jobs where I have no possibility of advancement. I really just want a little bit of security and something where I can build up my resume. It doesn’t even have to be practicing law, and I really want to find something with a good work/life balance.
I have many dreams…I know that most of them will not come true, but that’s why they are dreams! I have always dreamed of living in Alaska (since I read a story in 2nd grade about how big the veggies grow! I have visited and my dream is even more intense!), knitting for a living, writing a novel and finally just being the best person that I can be every day…I’m a teacher and my patience runs thin some days, but I have to stop and keep my anger and frustration in check when my students use up my last nerve of the day!
Like so many, I have a lot of dreams. Some are more within my control than others, though. I dream of a simplified life — decluttering my space and time, allowing more for the people and things and activities that are really important to me. I dream of being healthier (have already lost almost 30 pounds…another 60 to go!) and being able to enjoy my middle and “old” age unencumbered by the health difficulties I see so many having. I dream of graduating our two kids from our homeschool and seeing them launch successfully into the world. I dream of my oldest son getting his life on the right path so that he can finally enjoy some success and true happiness. I dream of growing a self-sufficient vegetable garden, which require me to somehow develop a green thumb, LOL. I dream of traveling, of living at the beach, of living in the mountains, and of just enjoying my life to its fullest and taking advantage of every opportunity! π
Hi Sheri,
My Dream…. is to be able to retire in 4-5 years and move to Florida. I’d love a 2-bedroom, 2 bath home all on one level without steps. To have friends and family come visit. I’d love to have a small garden and be able to grow some fresh vegetables. I’d love to have a Myers lemon tree and maybe a keylime tree.
ASlso to find some new friends who like to knit and have a weekly get-to-gether.
A palm tree in the yard would not be bad either.
I hope everyone’s dreams come true.
I graduated from college last year. My parents didn’t pay my way, I had to get loans and part time jobs to get through, but they did help a lot with expenses. In the past year, now that I and my friends are completely on our own, we’ve all been struggling a lot to stay afloat. However, it’s not tragic and we’ve all been able to find *some* kind of work, and I think a lot of see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The thing is, all of this struggling has made me really grateful for everything I’ve got. It feels really good to know I’m completely on my own and it’s helped me see what is really important.
My dream is to never lose this perspective on life, and never again get caught up in wearing the right designer, having the right phone, or being seen at the right bar. My dream is to always be content in who I am and what I’m doing.
My dream is to move out of the city and live on a farm filled with fiber animals! I’ve lived in the city my whole life and it’s completely worn me down. I feel the need to live where I can see the stars at night and smell the grass. I want nothing more than to be surrounded by nature and raise my own vegetables and chickens for eggs and naturally sheep and alpaca for my knitting/spinning addictions! Just a little corner of heaven on earth :o)
I’ve loved reading everyone’s dreams. So inspiring. Seeing Susan Boyle’s video made me laugh, cry, etc. It was awesome. My own dreams would include retiring in 4 years and that my husband is relatively healthy yet (he’s had 2 heart attacks and has type 1 diabetes) so we can do things together. Move to Chicago. Write a book. Get a college degree. Make every sock in Wendy’s new sock book.
My dream is to pay off our mortgage and have the financial security of living in a home that we own. We’re working on it little by little, and we’ll get there someday!
My dream is change the lives of young people by embedding in them a hunger for knowledge, a love of culture and an awareness of the world. I’m currently studying French at Texas A&M and I want to one day be a French teacher and accomplish the said goals. My mom really encouraged my love of the world and other cultures and languages from very young, even though see was uneducated she pushed me to be so, so that I could one day live all my dreams and I want to do that for other young people who don’t have that at home.
I dream of finding love. To love myself, to approach life with my heart wide open and to find a love to share that life with.
My dream is to own my own beautiful, comfortable home.
I dream of having one of my short stories published. Nothing more, nothing less. A lot of the time I feel as though I have accomplsihed not much more than giving birth, and keeping house. The written word is, to me devine. I collect books like I collect yarn. The smell of paper and ink makes me giddy. Even if it were just one story, I would be so happy.